A video management system, also known as video management software or a video management server, is a component of a security camera system that in general:
- Collects video from cameras and other sources
- Records / stores that video to a storage device
- Provides an interface to both view the live video, and access recorded video
A VMS can be the software component of a network video recorder and digital video recorder, though in general a VMS tends to be more sophisticated and provide more options and capabilities than a packaged NVR device.
Due to improvements in technology, it is necessary to make a distinction between a VMS and the built-in features of modern network based security cameras. Many modern network cameras offer internal capabilities to record and review video directly themselves via a web browser and without the use of a VMS. However a camera’s built-in web interface is typically exclusive to the camera itself and does not normally provide a shared access capability across other network cameras.